When Will Bond Franchise End?

Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson talk about her children carrying on her James Bond Franchise. When I had a dream about having a daughter, I asked Sydney Morris for money from the estate of Christine Rosamond Benton, to find my daughter and carry on our families artistic and literary legacy, because attorneys made the case my adult niece was NOT fit to serve. The law firm of Buck, Rose, Heisinger, and Morris, sold our genetic legacy to the outsider, Stacey Pierrot – who had no children – to this day? I kept it a secret we are kin to Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor, who is kin to Ian Fleming – who has a ROSE LINE in his tree. The Fleming family are billionaire bankers – very much into family legacies!

https://en.geneastar.org/genealogy/flemingi/ian-fleming

With my James Bond novel, the Royal Janitor, I have sustained THE ROSE LINE, that was famous before Dan Brown attached his star to it in The DaVinci Code, the most popular and most money earing Detective novel of all time! My grandfather, Royal Rosamond, was tight with Black Mask detective writers. He camped on the Channel Islands with Dashiell Hammet.

John Presco

President: Royal Rosamond Press

The family firm continued growing, long after Ian died in 1964, until 2000 when the family sold Robert Fleming & Co. to Chase Manhattan Bank for over $7 billion.

“Michael Wilson also told FIeld and Chowdhury, “My other son, David, is on the top floor, working on independent projects and the video games. My niece Heather, Tina’s daughter [works in publicity]. So we have a good representation of the family here.”

Barbara Broccoli is also keeping things in the family. As she revealed to the authors, her daughter, Angelica Zollo, has “asked me a couple of times, ‘Am I supposed to take over from you guys?’ And I’ve said, ‘You do what you want, girl!’” However, in a 2021 interview, Zollo had this to say:

“[The Bond franchise] is definitely something I love and I am proud of. […] I’ve done little jobs and I’ve spent a lot of time with my mom watching but I can’t ever do what they have done. It’s a huge thing and it’s pretty intimidating. I want to do my own thing and [Barbara Broccoli] has been super supportive but who knows, maybe one day!”

For now, it seems Wilson’s sons are at least firmly invested in Bond even while Broccoli’s daughter remains unsure. But either way, Wilson is right in his assessment that 007 “is part of the culture.” It seems unlikely we’ll ever see the end of 007 on-screen, even if Albert Broccoli’s descendants aren’t involved.

When The James Bond Franchise Will End, According To Barbara Broccoli
Eon Productions
BY JOE ROBERTS/SEPT. 17, 2023 8:00 PM EST
In the shocking climax to 2021’s “No Time to Die,” James Bond finally shuffled off this mortal coil. I say “shuffled” as if it were a humble and dignified affair, but what I really mean is, went out in a blaze of… well, glory isn’t the right word. Perhaps “entirely unnecessary and gratuitous grandiosity” would be a better phrase? Either way, Bond died for the first time on-screen since 1962’s “Dr. No,” the film that kicked off cinema’s most enduring franchise. Pummeled by a barrage of ballistics, Daniel Craig’s version of 007 is well and truly gone, and the hunt for the next Bond actor has begun.

All we know so far is that the new Bond definitely won’t be Taron Egerton, but an official announcement regarding who will wield the famous Walther PPK next is surely imminent. Otherwise, the future of the character is as uncertain as it’s ever been — not necessarily because Bond is in danger of disappearing, but because anything seems possible at this point.

Not only is Amazon now partially in control of the super spy’s destiny after acquiring MGM in 2021, 007 has now perished before our very eyes, suggesting the producers are pretty much up for trying anything. At this point, the character has been a cultural mainstay for 60 years, so it’s unlikely he’ll disappear. Quite the opposite, he could well form the basis of yet another accursed cinematic universe if Amazon has its way with him. But what if the unthinkable happened, and Bond disappeared from pop culture entirely? How would that happen? When could it happen? Is it really a possibility? Well, just like with most things behind the scenes of Bond, that’s all uncertain.

The situation as it is
Eon Productions
Since Amazon’s acquisition of MGM, Jeff Bezos’ multinational behemoth now owns distribution rights to the Bond movies and the rights to previous films in the series. But that doesn’t mean the company has compete control of 007 going forward. MGM had co-ownership of the James Bond movie rights, along with Danjaq LLC — the holding company set up by original Bond producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman. Danjaq is responsible for the James Bond copyrights and trademarks, and Eon Productions, which has made Bond movies since 1962’s “Dr. No,” sits under the Danjaq umbrella.

All of which is to say that, since acquiring MGM, Amazon will have distribution rights to the Bond films going forward, but the creative decisions will mostly be handled by Eon Productions, which is run by Albert R. Broccoli’s daughter, Barbara, and her half brother Michael G. Wilson. Eon has been a strict custodian of Bond since he first hit the big screen, and will retain tight control going forward, even as Bezos and co. make their attempts to give 007 the cinematic universe treatment. The Amazon owner said during a 2021 shareholder meeting that MGM’s back catalog was part of his reasoning for making the deal, adding, “We can reimagine and redevelop that IP for the 21st century.” But because Amazon only owns 50% of Bond, the company can’t just start churning out whatever 007-related dross it likes. Both Barbara Broccoli and Wilson have already nixed the idea of a Bond TV show, saying they “make films for the cinema.” Then again, they reportedly gave their blessing to a James Bond competition show, so who knows…

But if Broccoli and Wilson remain in charge, and Amazon is merely along for the ride (for now), where do the producers see Bond going?

‘Bond is part of the culture’
Eon Productions
Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson have been overseeing the Bond saga since 1995’s “GoldenEye” and have been fiercely protective of the franchise during that period, even as Bond has evolved with the times. Back in 2015, the New York Times reported that “Broccoli and Wilson have final say over every line of dialogue, every casting decision, every stunt sequence, every marketing tie-in, every TV ad, poster and billboard.” And since Amazon’s acquisition of MGM, Broccoli told Variety that Eon was still “committed to continuing to make James Bond films for the worldwide theatrical audience.” So don’t expect a bunch of Marvel Disney+-style streaming fare in the near future.

But what exactly will the future of Bond look like? In Matthew Field and Ajay Chowdhury’s 2015 book, “Some Kind of Hero: The Remarkable Story of the James Bond Films,” the authors spoke to Broccoli and Wilson about whether the 007 franchise could ever, conceivably, come to an end. Broccoli remained optimistic, saying, “As long as the audience wants to see the films they will be made by us, or by some version of our descendants.” Wilson was even more sanguine about things, saying “Bond will go on. Who is to say who will be making the movies? He’s a fictitious character that is part of the culture, so he’s like Sherlock Holmes or Batman. There will always be a Bond.”

But what about those descendants that Broccoli mentioned? The longtime Bond producer is now 63, and Wilson is 81, so there’s got to be someone in the wings waiting to continue the Eon Legacy and keep Bezos and co. at bay. Thankfully, there is.

The heirs to Bond
Eon Productions
As Matthew Field and Ajay Chowdhury note, there are several Broccoli and Wilson family members who have already been brought into the Bond fold. Michael Wilson’s son, Gregg, was an associate producer on 2012’s “Skyfall,” 2015’s “Spectre,” and “No Time to Die,” and has been active in the world of Bond for some time, telling Digital Spy back in 2012 that it would be a “dream” to have Christopher Nolan direct a 007 outing — something Nolan still seems up for in 2023.

Michael Wilson also told FIeld and Chowdhury, “My other son, David, is on the top floor, working on independent projects and the video games. My niece Heather, Tina’s daughter [works in publicity]. So we have a good representation of the family here.”

Barbara Broccoli is also keeping things in the family. As she revealed to the authors, her daughter, Angelica Zollo, has “asked me a couple of times, ‘Am I supposed to take over from you guys?’ And I’ve said, ‘You do what you want, girl!’” However, in a 2021 interview, Zollo had this to say:

“[The Bond franchise] is definitely something I love and I am proud of. […] I’ve done little jobs and I’ve spent a lot of time with my mom watching but I can’t ever do what they have done. It’s a huge thing and it’s pretty intimidating. I want to do my own thing and [Barbara Broccoli] has been super supportive but who knows, maybe one day!”

For now, it seems Wilson’s sons are at least firmly invested in Bond even while Broccoli’s daughter remains unsure. But either way, Wilson is right in his assessment that 007 “is part of the culture.” It seems unlikely we’ll ever see the end of 007 on-screen, even if Albert Broccoli’s descendants aren’t involved.

Read More: https://www.slashfilm.com/1390968/when-james-bond-end-barbara-broccoli/

https://en.geneastar.org/genealogy/flemingi/ian-fleming

 a younger maternal half-sister born out of wedlock, cellist Amaryllis Fleming (1925–1999), whose father was the artist Augustus John. Amaryllis was conceived during a long-term affair between John and Evelyn Fleming that started in 1923, some six years after the death of Valentine Fleming.

The family firm continued growing, long after Ian died in 1964, until 2000 when the family sold Robert Fleming & Co. to Chase Manhattan Bank for over $7 billion.

In an era when family offices were almost unheard of, the Fleming family created Fleming Family Partners to manage the proceeds from this sale on behalf of a growing number of Fleming family members. The firm’s name was then changed to Stonehage Fleming following a merger with the South African Stonehage in 2014.

These transactions have propelled Stonehage Fleming’s assets under management to £16 billion ($21.5 billion) and assets under administration to over £60 billion ($80 billion), making it easily the largest multi family office in Europe.

The firm now helps the Flemings and other wealthy families throughout the world manage their wealth, whether it is investing it, structuring it, or planning who will look after it in years to come. “We help families consider the future,” says Fleming.

While the Fleming family’s future is assured, the same cannot be said for James Bond. Producers are now on the hunt for a new 007 following Daniel Craig’s spectacular finale as James Bond in ‘No Time To Die.’

The long awaited arrival of the latest James Bond film, ‘No Time To Die,’ was celebrated with red carpeted royalty. But, across London, there was another group of people applauding its arrival: The original James Bond family.

In Leicester Square, family members of James Bond’s creator, Ian Fleming, were toasting their ancestor’s latest posthumous creation.

“As a family, we look back and celebrate Ian Fleming,” says Matthew Fleming, Ian’s great nephew, and a partner of Stonehage Fleming, the family office that manages the Fleming family’s wealth.

Ian Fleming did not write ‘No Time To Die,’ but his family still bathes in the legacy of the Bond franchise. When Ian Fleming sold the film rights to his Bond novels, the family maintained an agreement to host their own premier every time a new Bond movie is released.